Rosario agrees to deal with Nationals (source)
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Nationals added outfield depth on Wednesday by agreeing to a Minor League deal with veteran Eddie Rosario, a source has confirmed. The split contract, which could earn him up to $4 million, is pending a physical. The club has not yet confirmed the deal, which was first reported by El Extrabase.
Rosario, 32, brings a coveted lefty bat with nine years of experience to a developing club. He most recently batted .255 and belted 21 home runs in 142 games with the Braves last season. Rosario became a free agent when the Braves declined a $9 million option in November.
Over his career, Rosario has slashed .268/.305/.460 with a .755 OPS playing for Minnesota (2015-2020), Cleveland (¡®21) and Atlanta (¡®21-23). He won the 2021 World Series as a member of the Braves and was named NLCS MVP that year; he has a .296 career postseason batting average.
Rosario gives the Nationals another option as they evaluate their outfield with three weeks remaining in camp. He has played the majority of his career in left, where he accrued 2 outs above average and a .983 fielding percentage in 130 games at that position last season.
The Nats do not have a lock in left field, as Stone Garrett continues to rehab from a broken left fibula sustained last August. Garrett played 77 games in left (49 starts) in left field last season prior to the injury.
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¡°Every day, it¡¯s a new step for him,¡± manager Dave Martinez said of Garrett on Wednesday. ¡°He¡¯s going to have to check all the boxes, but he¡¯s definitely feeling better. I¡¯m watching his batting practice now, and he¡¯s using his legs a lot better and he¡¯s staying on the ball. So now he¡¯s starting to drive the balls like we know he can, especially in right-center field, which is good. But the big thing that¡¯s going to get him to be on the field [is] running back and forth to left field in between innings, running the bases, going back out to play defense, and seeing how he reacts to that.¡±
The Nationals entered camp with the option to fill the left-field role by committee. Joey Gallo, Joey Meneses and Jesse Winker are candidates to rotate between left, first base and DH. Winker has been making an impression on a Minor League deal.
? Winker feels 'really good,' focuses on staying that way
¡°I see him playing left field if he makes the team,¡± Martinez said of Winker last week. ¡°Before he got hurt, he was actually not bad out there. He¡¯s lost so much weight, he¡¯s moving a lot better. ¡ If we can get him out in left field as much as possible, it would be great.¡±
As Washington assesses its outfield options, the team also has been getting a glimpse into its future by seeing prospects Dylan Crews (MLB No. 7, Nats¡¯ No. 1), James Wood (MLB No. 14, Nats¡¯ No. 2) and Robert Hassell III (Nats¡¯ No. 8) at all three outfield positions.
Last season the Nats covered left field with Garrett, Corey Dickerson (37 games), Alex Call (27 games), Jake Alu (24 games), Blake Rutherford (11 games), Travis Blankenhorn (eight games) and Ildemaro Vargas (six games).